Others may consider chocolate simply another delicious treat. But for chocolatier Katrina Markoff, founder of Vosges Haut-Chocolat, passion for cacao beans has allowed her to travel in search of new tastes. Now, she's partnering with a Central American eco-resort set amid 3,000 acres, BelCampo Belize, to teach chocolate-making classes. For a chocolate maker who started her company with the tag line "travel the world through chocolate," it seems like the only logical place to end up. Markoff explains it all:

On her entry into the resort business: "They wanted someone who had a history of making chocolate to teach classes. I liked the idea of making it educational and interesting. The resort offers other classes on coffees, rums, jams and sports, too."

Where she finds the best ingredients: "Sicily for pistachios, Thailand for pandan, which tastes like a cross between hazelnuts and vanilla, and Australia for wattleseeds, like a cross between coffee and hazelnuts. I get most of my beans from Belize, the Dominican Republic, and Ghana."

On what's next: "I've been playing around with grated carrots with orange juice and a result that's crunchy and crispy. And we're going to have our new headquarters in Logan Square next year -- a chocolate temple where visitors can see chocolate made, buy it, find a history of chocolate, and eat.